Small business owners plead with Senator Collins to protect ACA

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Some small business owners are sending letters to Senator Collins asking her protect the Affordable Care Act.

The Maine Small Business Coalition says if the health care law is repealed with no replacement -- it would result in more work absences and high health costs for their employees.

Under the law, employers with less than 50 employers are not required to provide coverage for their employees -- but say many workers were able to get affordable insurance for the first time thanks to Obamacare. Business owners say those employees will slip through the cracks if it's repealed and not replaced.

At a news conference, members of the coalition, which has 3,500 members, say they are sending Senator Collins 200 letters asking her to reject efforts by President elect Trump and congressional Republicans to repeal Obama's signature legislation.

Cathy Walsh, the owner of Arabica Coffee, says before Obamacare, she stopped providing coverage for her employees because she couldn't afford the premiums. She says thanks to the law, 35 of her employees get benefits on exchange, coverage she also uses for her family. Members hope they can persuade Collins to preserve the law as the process in congress moves forward.

"There is going to be a lot of more votes in the next few weeks to try to pull out individual pieces and we want to make sure that Senator Collins stays strong” said Will Ikard of the Maine Small Business Coalition.

Health policy experts estimate about 95,000 Mainers could lose their benefits if the health care law repealed.